author
Cecil J. (Cecil James) Sharp
1859–1924
A central figure in the English folk revival, he devoted much of his life to finding, notating, and sharing traditional songs and dances before they disappeared. His work helped preserve thousands of tunes and shaped how later generations understood folk music in Britain and beyond.
1 Audiobook
The Morris Book, Part 1 A History of Morris Dancing, With a Description of Eleven Dances as Performed by the Morris-Men of England
by Cecil J. (Cecil James) Sharp, Herbert C. MacIlwaine
About the author
Born in London on 22 November 1859, Cecil James Sharp became an influential musician, teacher, and collector of traditional music. He is best known for his role in the English folk-song revival, gathering songs, tunes, and dances from singers and musicians in the countryside and helping bring them into wider public view.
Sharp studied at Cambridge and also spent time in Australia early in his career. Later, his collecting work in England became especially important, and he went on to record large numbers of folk songs and morris dances. He also traveled in the Appalachian region of the United States, where he collected English-language folk songs that had been preserved there in oral tradition.
His legacy remains significant in folk music and dance history. Collections, archives, and institutions connected with traditional music still reflect the impact of his work, even as modern readers and musicians often discuss it with a more critical awareness of the ideas and assumptions of his era.